The present invention generally relates to an improved system for monitoring the liquid content retained in a fabric material during the processing of such material. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved monitoring system for detecting the retained liquid in a fabric warp wherein the detection of the retained liquid is accomplished substantially across the entire width of the warp yarns.
The processing of textile materials often requires that they be treated with a liquid. For example, in dyeing operations, the textile material is treated in a liquid dye bath so that the dye coloring can be effectively transferred to the textile material.
Additionally, the textile material may be sized prior to weaving filler yarns into the warp. Sizing of textile material is generally accomplished by way of a sizing machine (commonly referred to as a "slasher unit") which coats the yarn with a sizing material, such as, starch, gelatin, oil, wax, or manmade polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyacrylic acid, polyacetates, or the like. The sizing is utilized during the weaving process to protect the warp yarns from the abrasive tendencies of the weaving process. Accordingly, after the weaving is accomplished, the sizing is washed or otherwise removed from the warp yarn, having thus served its intended purpose.
Since the amount of retained liquid in the yarn is correlated to the desired properties to be imparted to the yarn during processing, it is extremely important for the devices which treat the yarn with liquid to operate in a proper manner so that the time during which the yarn is in contact with the liquid is sufficient for the desired results. For example, in a slasher unit, it is desirable to size the yarn so that the abrasive consequences of weaving do not affect the quality of the finished product. Thus, too little sizing applied to the yarn during the sizing process will, necessarily, defeat the purpose of the sizing and may have the deleterious effect of having portions of the warp yarn break or fray due to the friction encountered during weaving. Such an effect would result in an unacceptable product and, of course, must be avoided.
The measurement of retained liquid in the yarn after it has been subjected to the sizing process is correlated to the sufficiency of the sizing operation. Accordingly, by controlling the retained liquid or the moisture content of the yarn, the proper amount of sizing will be imparted to the yarn.
It has been proposed in the art to utilize various contrivances for measuring moisture in order to control the processing parameters of a liquid process. However, prior art devices which are utilized to measure the moisture and thereby control the processing of the yarn in a liquid environment are primarily intended to be utilized as adjuncts or auxiliary appendages to the standard equipment utilized in the textile industry.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,435 to Strandberg, Jr. et al. (the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference herein) moisture detectors are utilized in conjunction with a moisture monitoring apparatus wherein the detectors are in the form of small rollers which measure only a few limited spans along the warp width. In practice, the moisture detectors of U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,435 are in the form of small rollers and are positioned over the warp yarn by means of a supporting beam having the rollers attached to the beam. These rollers are then allowed to bear upon the top of the warp and, as such, impart a downward pressure to the warp yarns. Of course, with fine denier yarns comprising the warp, such a pressure may have the deleterious effect of causing yarn breakage or excess wear. Additionally, such rollers may provide an unnecessary abrasive action to the sized warp yarns with the possible result that the yarns may not be able to withstand further abrasive action downstream.
While the measurement of retained liquid in yarns after being treated with sizing is mentioned above, it should be appreciated by those in the art that other processing techniques utilizing liquid also have a correlation between the desired property to be imparted to the yarn and the retained moisture of the yarn after the processing sequence. Additionally, the retained moisture of the yarn can be measured subsequent to drying operations so that the yarn can be properly dried and, therefore, prepared for subsequent processing operations.
Accordingly, it has been desirous to obtain a measurement of the moisture retained across the entire warp width without the deleterious effects mentioned above and to this end the present invention is directed.